LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT

I am so grateful to everyone that participated in all the exciting events last week. Monday, the Tyler Area Energy Summit hosted three very interesting speakers over lunch. They reminded us how important our industry is to our modern way of life. That evening we had a full turnout at the Ice Breaker for the Tech and Prospect Expo, thanks go to Carl Gray for setting it up. On Tuesday the Tech and Prospect Expo was a great success due to the hard work of Matt Bailey and Barbara Cade. We really appreciate all the participants and those that rented booths, also our speakers, John Jacobi and Dr. Scott Tinker. The message that came through to me from these talks was that the fossil fuel industry has an image problem. Much of that is due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the general public. We need to be better ambassadors for our industry, reminding the public of the benefits of fossil fuels, since there is so much focus on the risks and downside. I thought Scott Tinker made a good point: We can gain credibility with a balanced, scientific message instead of a polarized political one. It is a tough challenge these days.

Our luncheon speaker in April will be Peter Blomquist with IHS Markit in Dallas. Peter has experience as an exploration geologist, consulting geologist, university instructor, entrepreneur, facilities engineer, and independent operator. Don’t miss his timely talk “Hottest Play in the USA: Wolfcamp Play, Midland Basin, West Texas”. Please remember to RSVP by the Thursday before the luncheon, Wednesday, April 19, 11:30 at the Cascades Country Club.

The 6th annual ETGS Skeet Shoot will Saturday, May 6th. There is plenty of opportunity to help sponsor the event and participate. Please see our calendar for details and to register. It is a family oriented event with lots of prizes - join the fun!